• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.119-128
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• 2021

Objectives: This is a five-year survival case report on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with western medicine and traditional Korean medicine. 44-year old man diagnosed NSCLC IIIB in 2015 went through two months' concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) first, however the cancer did not response. After CCRT he began to take intensive integrative therapy including acupuncture, abdominal moxibustion, wild ginseng pharmacopuncture, herbal medicinal product of ginseng, hyperthermia, Thymosin α1, and mega vitamin C injection for 4 years and 9 months. After three months of intensive treatment, the state of cancer changed first to partial response and then complete response. He finally succeeded in five-year survival without any recurrence or complication in 2020, We suggest that integrative approach including traditional Korean medicine can be a meaningful treatment option for nonoperable NSCLC. Further studies with more cases should be performed to establish proper treatment protocol of integrative medicine for lung cancer.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.11-25
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to report the case of a patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) mutation treated by Integrative Medicine Therapy (IMT). Methods: A patient with metastatic NSCLC received pembrolizumab 200mg intravenously for every 3 weeks from July 2017. Repeat cycle every 3 weeks since July 2017. The patient has been treated with Integrative Medicine Therapy (IMT) since December 2016. The tumor size was measured by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Adverse events were evaluated by the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 5.0. Results: After combined treatment, the extent of proximal portion of primary tumor in the left lower lobe was decreased and disease status was stable radiologically. No evidence of newly developed metastatic lesions in the brain since May 2017. The patient did not experience any adverse event according to NCI-CTCAE ver. 5.0. Conclusion: This case study suggests that Integrative Medicine Therapy (IMT) may contribute to tumor response, in conjunction with Pembrolizumab on the treatment of patients with NSCLC.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2012

Objective : We introduce a case of non-small cell lung cancer patient treated with allergen removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes. Methods : This patient started Allergen-removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes from Feb 2010 right after his firstline chemotherapy, and maintained his Oriental medicine regimen until now. Results : It shows 12.0 months of progression-free-survival since starting point of maintenance chemotherapy, and 9.3 months of overall-survival since progression disease after 2nd chemotherapy, compared with 6.3 months of its known overall survival. Conclusion : Allergen removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes prolonged overall survival and slowed disease progression of a non-small cell lung cancer patient.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.539-545
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• 2016

Nafamostat mesilate (NM), a synthetic serine protease inhibitor, has anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. The intracellular mediator and external anti-inflammatory external signal in the vascular wall have been reported to protect endothelial cells, in part due to nitric oxide (NO) production. This study was designed to examine whether NM exhibit endothelium dependent vascular relaxation through Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation and generation of NO. NM enhanced Akt/eNOS phosphorylation and NO production in a dose- and time-dependent manner in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and aorta tissues obtained from rats treated with various concentrations of NM. NM concomitantly decreased arginase activity, which could increase the available arginine substrate for NO production. Moreover, we investigated whether NM increased NO bioavailability and decreased aortic relaxation response to an eNOS inhibitor in the aorta. These results suggest that NM increases NO generation via the Akt/eNOS signaling pathway, leading to endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation. Therefore, the vasorelaxing action of NM may contribute to the regulation of cardiovascular function.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.69-90
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• 2021

Purpose : This study explores unmet medical services within a region for patients admitted to a single medical institution in one region and was to analyze the importance and satisfaction of hospital selection attributes. Through this, we tried to solve the unmet medical needs of patients and provide useful basic data in terms of hospital management in the region. Methods : It were collected to a total of 250 questionnaires for patients admitted to the regional integrative medical hospital. However, 232 samples were used for the final analysis, excluding 18 copies not reported in good faith. For the analysis, first, demographic frequency analysis of inpatients and inpatients was performed, and second, characteristics of patients, including frequent disease receiving treatment, were analyzed. Next, descriptive statistics analysis was conducted on unmet medical service intentions. In terms of hospital selection attribute, the items of continuity maintenance (I quadrant), priority visibility (II quadrant), low priority (III quadrant), and excessive effort (IV quadrant) were derived using the IPA (importance-performance analysis) matrix technique. Results : The derived results were classified by item and area. In the priority administration area, it was the reputation and recognition of medical institutions and the service area of medical institutions. In the case of items, there were 6 items including the importance of surgery and medical expenses, and diet at hospitalization. 1) Conclusion : Thus a result of this study, resources are efficiently allocated to priority correction areas with high importance but low satisfaction and circulatory medical treatment is performed in the departments required by patients who use medical care and, various methods, such as preparing a policy to support medical expenses, should be sought.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2017

Objectives The purpose of this study is to understand the condition of the Ease-West Integrative Care system in one of Korean Medical hospital, to develop more effective system, and to collect advance information for future research. Methods We analyzed patient's status, patient's composition and the ranking of the major disease code. In addition, we investigated the operating system of how Ease-West Integrative Care in hospitals is operating in order to grasp the actual situation is being done. Results As a result of analyzing the status, there was a balanced cooperation between the Korean Medicine and Western Medicine with a ratio of 0.86:1. The disease status from Korean Medicine to Western Medicine were mostly occupied by stroke patients and from Western Medicine to Korean Medicine fragment were mostly by musculoskeletal pain patients. Conclusions The results of this study showed that the Ease-West Integrative Care system of surveyed Korean Medical hospital has more integrated medical characteristics than previous studies in terms of quality and quantitative. Future research based on detailed data collection and review for a longer period is expected in the further.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.379-387
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• 2023

Dog owners seek treatment when their pets develop cancer. IMMUNIES is traditional herbal medicine-based figment made of 10 natural herbs, designed to maintain host immune function. The major component of IMMUNIES is Dendropanax morbiferus. This clinical pilot study monitored the toxicity and efficacy of IMMUNIES. Four senile dogs with spontaneously occurring mammary and liver cancers were enrolled in this study and treated orally daily for 3 months, and their blood/urine biochemical profiles were examined each month. IMMUNIES was well tolerated during the treatment period. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein levels decreased in all four dogs, whereas red blood cells and hematocrit were within the normal range. IMMUNIES also changed the expression of several molecular targets in the anticancer pathway, such as pro-NAG-1, p53, and cyclin D1. Although the tumors did not completely respond to IMMUNIES, the biochemical profiles and clinical examination showed a stabilized cancer status for 3 months. Thus, IMMUNIES was found to be safe and well-tolerated in the dosage range tested and exhibited cancer antiproliferative activity in canine cancer. Future studies should address other potential benefits of IMMUNIES, including correlative assessments of immune function, quality of life, and owner satisfaction.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.11-23
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• 2022

Objectives : The aim of this study was to develop a clinical pathway (CP) model for the integrative treatment of non-invasive breast cancer, with western medicine and Korean traditional medicine. Methods : The checklist model was composed in four types according to the target patients: DCIS inpatients, DCIS outpatients, LCIS inpatients, LCIS outpatients. The vertical axis of the pathway consists of 11 categories of actions applied to the patient. The horizontal axis was in accordance with the flow of time, comprising three periods during inpatient care and seven periods during outpatient care. In addition, CP was also composed in flow chart form. The pathway model was developed through a literature review of clinical practice guidelines, conference publications, papers, books, and websites. Results : The integrative CP model for non-invasive breast cancer was developed. Conclusions : The goal of the CP suggested in this study was to improve non-invasive breast cancer patients' quality of life and to supplement conventional treatment, by alleviating the side effects. The model developed through this study could serve as the basis when developing CPs in a real-world integrative medical environment. This could lead to a reduction in cost and time for CP development, thus bringing about efficiency in the clinical setting.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3803-3807
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• 2012

Prohibitin (PHB), an evolutionarily-conserved protein, has been found to be over-expressed in gastric cancer and be closely related with tumor malignancy. In this study, to investigate the relationship between PHB expression and cell apoptosis in the BGC823 gastric cancer cell line, low and high expression PHB in BGC823 cells was accomplished using RNA interference technology and gene transfer techniques. Cell proliferation, cell cycling, apoptosis, Bax, Bcl-2 and Cyt.c protein expression and the activation of Caspase-3,9 were assessed after 48h. Over-expression of PHB gene in BGC823 cells resulted in slow cell growth, cell arrest in G2 phase, and an increased apoptosis ratio while the opposite was found for PHB under-expressing cells. In PHB over-expressing cells, the expression of Bax gene was increased, the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased, the activation level of Caspase-3, 9 was increased, but the activation level of Caspase-8 demonstrated no change. These results indicate that PHB induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1274-1281
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• 2020

Objective: This case report shows symptom improvements in stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer treated with a Korean medicine-based integrative cancer treatment (ICT). Methods: A 61-year-old male patient diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2017 and metastasis to the lung, peritoneum, and liver in September 2020 was treated with Integrative Cancer Treatment (ICT) for abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, and anorexia for 1 month. Clinical outcomes were measured with the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (NCI-CTCAE), a numeral rating (NRS), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) scales. Results: After treatment, the patient's abdominal pain was improved from NRS 8 to 1, and the ECOG score of the patient was improved from grade 3 to 2. Integrative Cancer Treatment. Also the score improved on the FACT-G test, and there were no serious side effects of grade 3 or higher according to the NCI-CTCAE. Conclusion: This case study suggests that Korean medicine-based ICT may help to improve abdominal pain and quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.